The Strange Situation test: Is your child securely attached?
Researchers use the Strange Situation procedure to measure attachment in young children. How does it work, and how can we raise secure kids?
Parenting
Postpartum depression symptoms: When is it more than the “baby blues?”
Postpartum depression symptoms overlap with symptoms of the “baby blues,” the mood swings that mothers experience in the first few days after childbirth. But when symptoms persist beyond two weeks — or take a more severe turn — it’s time to get screened for depression.
Postpartum stress: A guide for the science-minded parent
A parent’s guide to the physical and psychological triggers of postpartum stress. Includes sleep deprivation, fussy babies, stress hormones and tips for coping.
Authoritarian parenting outcomes: What happens to the kids?
If authoritarian parents are demanding, shouldn’t their children be better-behaved and more successful in the classroom? On the contrary, research links authoritarian parenting with kids who are less resourceful, less confident, and less socially-adept. Kids may also be at higher risk for behavior problems.
Family stress: An evidence based guide
When one family member is stressed, it can disrupt the entire family. What are the effects of family stress, and what can we do to cope?
Poor sleep intensifies next-day stress for parents
Can a lack of sleep cause stress? Research confirms that we experience more stress the day after a poor night’s sleep. And the effects might be particularly noticeable for parents struggling to care for multiple children while holding down a job.
Sensitive, responsive parenting: How does it benefit your child’s health?
Research suggests that sensitive, responsive parenting can protect children from chronic disease and toxic stress.Â
Punitive environments encourage children to tell lies
It’s not unusual for kids to tell lies, but their readiness to deceive depends on how adults treat them. What can we do to foster honesty?
Emotion coaching: Helping kids cope with negative feelings
Emotion coaching is the practice of tuning into children’s feelings, and helping kids learn to cope with negative emotions like fear, anger, and sadness.
Evidence that spanking alters the brain
© 2021 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved As disciplinary tactics go, spanking is ineffective, and it may be harmful, too. A new study suggests that spanking alters the brain, making kids more reactive to potential threats, and more at risk for developing behavior problems. Over the years, I’ve followed the research on spanking, and … Continue reading
How to communicate with your teenager: Key signals to send
Families are better off when teenagers communicate openly with their parents. But how do we inspire better communication? An experimental study shows the way: We need to provide kids with crucial signals of active, supportive listening. Not only does it make kids feel better. It also encourages them to confide in us.
Why kids rebel (and what we can to encourage cooperation)
© 2018 – 2021 GWEN DEWAR, PH.D., ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Is childhood rebellion inevitable? Not really. Most kids are ready to be cooperative. But they recognize limits to our power: They resist when they perceive us as trying to control their personal lives. So what’s the solution? Be fair-minded. Listen to their requests. Give kids … Continue reading